Santa Cruz, Calif. (December 2020) – Kids In Need Foundation (KINF), a national nonprofit dedicated to providing free school supplies to students most in need, through its Second Responder® program, and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation distributed school supplies and requested resources to Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District this week, supporting students as they finish first semester and prepare for the start of second in 2021.
The donation is supporting the rural community near Santa Clara, Calif., where staff, faculty, and students evacuated due to the wildfires, with many losing homes or suffering substantial damages at their residences. Distance learning came to a halt according to CalMatters for 70,000 students as wildfires in California continued across millions of acres at the start of school.
Supplies included books, art kits and supplies, headphones for distance learning, basic school supplies, and Sparkle paper towels. The distribution will support all teachers and students at Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District.
“The 2020-21 year has presented a lot of challenges, but for schools that are also working to rebuild after natural disasters, those adversities grow exponentially,” said Corey Gordon, CEO of Kids In Need Foundation. “We are appreciative of Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s commitment to our Second Responder® program and supporting under-resourced educators, teachers, and students as they navigate the hardships presented by natural disasters.”
“We are proud to partner with the Kids In Need Foundation to provide free school and classroom supplies in the local community,” said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “We understand the difficulties the Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District family has faced this year between the pandemic and historic wildfires. We hope this gift will help support the community’s efforts to ensure the ongoing academic needs of students are met.”
Earlier in 2020, Second Responder® supported under-resourced teachers and students in Tennessee that were impacted by tornadoes in the spring. Between efforts in Chattanooga and Nashville, KINF and the Dollar Literacy Foundation provided supplies and classroom resources to more than 9,100 students and 70 teachers.
“On behalf of the students and staff at Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District, I express our gratitude for the kindness and generosity of Kids In Need Foundation and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation in donating school supplies for our students,” said Cyndy Cote, Assistant to the Superintendent/Principal at Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District. “Many times teachers provide and pay for items such as these out of their own funds or we have to ask families to provide them so we can stretch our budget farther to provide other essential learning tools. This donation will help avoid that. In these stressful times caused by not only the COVID 19 pandemic but also by the recent fires that destroyed so many homes in Bonny Doon our families will certainly appreciate these gifts which will put a smile on our students’ faces. Thank you to the Second Responder® program for helping us help our families.”
KINF and Dollar General Literacy Foundation are committed to ensuring that every child should have equal opportunity and access to a quality education – in spite of circumstances. By providing essential supplies and learning resources to students and teachers following natural disasters and throughout the pandemic, KINF and Dollar General Literacy Foundation are inspiring students to continue to achieve their full potential through education. To learn more about the collaborative relief efforts, visit https://www.kinf.org/secondresponder/
About Kids In Need Foundation
Kids In Need Foundation provides the support and tools needed for teachers to teach and learners to learn. A quality education is the best gateway to opportunity and students cannot achieve their full potential without it. With a focus on supporting teachers and students in schools most in need nationwide, Kids In Need Foundation believes that every child in America should have equal opportunity and access to a quality education. Founded in 1995, Kids In Need Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization, has distributed $1 billion in school supplies since its inception. For more information, visit KINF.org, and join us on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram: @KidsInNeed.
About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $186 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 12 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, visit https://www.dgliteracy.org/.